by Lloyd's List
20 December 2024 (Lloyd's List) - THE World Shipping Council’s board of directors has elected Mediterranean Shipping Company chief executive Soren Toft as its new chair, and Wan Hai Lines vice-chairman Randy Chen as its vice-chair.
The two will begin a two-year term effective immediately, the WSC said in a statement on Friday.
Toft and Chen will be replacing Hapag-Lloyd CEO Rolf Habben Jansen and Ocean Network Express CEO Jeremy Nixon, who have served as the board’s co-chairs for two terms, starting November 2020.
WSC president and CEO Joe Kramek said Toft and Chen were “esteemed leaders with a proven track record of driving innovation and sustainability in the global shipping industry”.
“Their experience and expertise will be instrumental in continuing to develop the WSC as the united voice of liner shipping,” he said.
Toft, who has been at the helm of MSC for four years after a long career at Maersk, said, “It is an honour to step into the role of chair for the WSC and to represent the global liner shipping industry alongside our members. WSC is today a respected voice of liner shipping, engaging with governments and organisations globally.
“An ever-changing world presents both challenges and opportunities for our industry as we head into the future, and I am eager to further advance our work to shape the future growth of a socially responsible, environmentally sustainable, safe and secure shipping industry,” said Toft.
